Buzzing with excitement: honey harvest approaching

(MONUMENT, Colo.) — When Dolly and Leonard Rickerman made southern Colorado their permanent home, they also created a haven for honeybees to flourish, creating the Rocky Mountain Bee Supply.

“We were in the Army,” Leonard said. “We moved around quite a bit when we settled here in Colorado, that’s when we took up beekeeping as a full-time occupation and really do enjoy it.

Dolly discovered her fascination with bees at a young age, watching her grandfather harvest honey. However, her grandmother would not allow her to help out for fear she would be stung, but there was no stopping Dolly years later from turning this passion into something greater.

“I decided when I was growing up, I was going to have my own bees and that’s what I did,” Dolly explained. “It got a little out of control, but yeah, that’s what kind of got us hooked into it. I mean, at first people think you’re a little nutty, but it’s a lot of fun once you get into it.”

Together the two have seen the challenges that also come with caring for bees in southern Colorado, not only do they have to prepare for long winters but also for what Mother Nature might have in store.

“It’s always that wild card with the weather,” Dolly said. “You just never know what’s going to happen. We try to do everything we can to prepare the bees to overwinter successfully. But every now and then Mother Nature will throw a boot in it. Like a couple of years ago, we had that bomb cyclone and that really did a number on this yard out here.”

During the wintertime, the Rickermans leave boxes of honey so the bees have enough food to sustain during the cold months. Dolly explained the bees will go into a cluster shape to shiver their wing muscles and keep warm.

“Then hopefully if we’ve done everything right and they’ve done everything right, then in the spring they’ll come out and then they’ll start gathering again to replenish what they ate over the winter, and they’ll start making babies again and the cycle of life starts all over,” said Dolly.

On Monday morning the two made their rounds to check on the thousands of bees, ensuring they were healthy and thriving. They are anticipating the start of the honey harvest season, which does not last long.

“Being a beekeeper here in Colorado has very unique challenges,” Leonard said. “We have a rather short season for bees, kind of kicks off end of April and kind of wraps up around end of October, that’s when we basically wrap them up, get them ready for winter and kind of hands off in the wintertime.”

While Mother Nature can be a challenge for beekeepers, another risk to the colony is varroa mites, which Leonard described are the number one killers of their bees. The two are hopeful this year will be a good season as nectar flow has already started.

“This time of year is really exciting because it’s when all the beekeepers get their hives up and running for the season,” Leonard said. “Really [in a] couple more weeks we’re going to be putting on honey supers and the bees are going to be ready to start producing honey here pretty soon. So, we actually have a light nectar flow this year, which is ahead of schedule compared to previous years.”

The two hope to share their passion of beekeeping and educate others about the vital role bees play in the southern Colorado ecosystem. If you are interested in learning more, their store is located in downtown Colorado Springs at 24 S. Walnut Street, and you can find details on classes online.

When it comes to saving the wild bee population, there are several ways you can contribute to helping these vital pollinators.

“Really the best thing people can do for those bees are plant more flowers and provide habitat spaces,” said Lisa Mason, Horticulturist Specialist for Colorado State University extension in Arapahoe County. “Most of our wild bees nest underground or in a cavity which is like a preexisting tunnel could be in a dead log and nooks and crannies, you know, between patios, drones, or even human made bee hotels. So, habitat and planting flowers really help support those wild bees.”

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